. . . I turn on the gas burner --- medium-high --- and begin to butter the bread, unwrap the Kraft American cheese and build my grilled cheese sandwich. No one else is home, and I cannot wait until Mom arrives and feeds me. What the heck?! I've seen Mom do this a thousand times, I'll just make a cheesy sandwich. I drop the sandwich in the fry pan; it sizzles ferociously. So far so good, I think. I constantly lift the sandwich off the pan to look at how the underside is browning. Hmmmm, perfect. Time to flip. Well, that went well. I'll leave it and check my email. . . .what is that smell? Shoot! I run to the kitchen and look at my sandwich --- a charcoal and cheese sandwich. I'll try again -- we have a full loaf of bread and lots of cheese. So try again --- fail. Try again --- fail. Try again --- fail. Try again --- fail. Try again ---fail. Try again? There are only four pieces of bread left. Don't try again. . .
My mother and sister do not hesitate to share this humiliating story, and others, with family and friends -- in particular when they sit down to a meal to which I have contributed. Because of epic failures like this, I was considered the daughter that couldn't cook, hated cooking, and deferred such arts to my younger sister (who at the same time was going through a cake-decorating passion --- none of her cakes fell, EVER).
It is amazing, however, what moving out of my parents house did for my inner-Chef. I was able to experiment without being teased for mistakes or simple questions. I found, slowly, that I enjoy preparing delicious, healthful (sometimes not) food, and that I love doing so for others: my friends and boyfriends in college, my family during the holidays, and --- now --- my husband, everyday. I take great pride in a healthy meal made well, how it pleases the senses and sustains the body. I am also proud of how, when I cook, it brings people together --- I am most glad for that.
I am at most a mediocre cook. But, I am learning. Sometimes I still make mistakes, other times I have stellar success. Recently, while staying with my sisters in Salt Lake City, I tried a meatloaf. I wanted something lighter than traditional loaves baked with BBQ sauce, ketchup and brown sugar for flavour. I found this fantastic American Bison Loaf, and it did the trick. Bison meat is naturally sweeter than beef and leaner, too. This recipe adds bulk and flavour with mushrooms, onions, fresh sage and fresh thyme. Rather than being sweet and sugar-laden, this loaf is, instead, a bit spicy due to a red-pepper (or cayenne) seasoned tomato sauce. It was refreshing, delicious, quick and --- best of all --- surprisingly simple!
Me, with the food. This recipe calls for roasted potatoes and spinach (we ate carrots instead of spinach).
Beautiful apron courtesy of Mom.
I substituted a pinch of cayenne pepper for the red pepper. Be careful not to over-pepper!
Everyone sitting down for the meal, minus Rick. The drink is a tasty treat handed down from Oma (Rick's German great-grandma), Italian Plum Juice and soda.
Slowly, these successes are helping me to overcome the trauma of incinerating an entire loaf of bread for a single grilled cheese sandwich. . .
I hope to post about a bread loaf soon. . .
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